diff --git a/scripts/openstack-ansible.rc b/scripts/openstack-ansible.rc
index 69dd0f072c..b5551f5418 100644
--- a/scripts/openstack-ansible.rc
+++ b/scripts/openstack-ansible.rc
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ export ANSIBLE_TIMEOUT="${ANSIBLE_TIMEOUT:-5}"
 export ANSIBLE_TRANSPORT="${ANSIBLE_TRANSPORT:-openstack.osa.ssh}"
 export ANSIBLE_SSH_PIPELINING="${ANSIBLE_SSH_PIPELINING:-True}"
 export ANSIBLE_SSH_RETRIES="${ANSIBLE_SSH_RETRIES:-5}"
+export ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS="${ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS:--C -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=300}"
 export ANSIBLE_PIPELINING="${ANSIBLE_SSH_PIPELINING}"
 export ANSIBLE_FORKS="${ANSIBLE_FORKS:-OSA_ANSIBLE_FORKS}"